Olimpia came back from a lethargic first half – 1-for-15 from three-point range – and won the sixth straight Italian league game, 77-71, in Naples. More than that, Olimpia completed a perfect week, four games out of four across the two competitions, all of them won rallying in the second half after trailing most of the first. The Naples game was a clear resemblance of what happened against Efes three days earlier. In the third quarter, Olimpia’s defense took over. “Winning after two EuroLeague games, on the road, against a well-coached and well-prepared team, shooting 6-for-22 from three, 1-for-15 in the first half, is great. It is even better than winning shooting well because when the ball goes in everything is easier,” Coach Peppe Poeta said.

Olimpia trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half but found a way, though deserted by three-point shooting, to close the half behind by six points only 38-32. In the second half, the defense took over, the offense started attacking the rim consistently with Shavon Shields and Zach LeDay and Armoni Brooks, so the gap was soon reduced. At the end of the third, Brooks made his first three of the night and Olimpia entered the fourth quarter down by three. Back-to-back threes made by Brooks again – he finished with another 20-point outing – tied the score up and finally Shields with a three and a short-range hook shot gave Olimpia the lead for good. Brooks had an incredible block on center Ed Croswell and on the ensuing possession completed a three-point play. Finally, a three-pointer by Quinn Ellis essentially closed the game. The last three minutes legitimated Olimpia’s win, 77-71.

While Brooks scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds and had the big block on Croswell to complete another great night, Zach LeDay was all over the floor despite being ice cold from the perimeter. He finished the game with a team-high nine rebounds and 16 points, going 8-for-9 from the line even when fouls potentially plagued his game in the second half. The third key was Shavon Shields, who spent himself to contain Savion Flagg in the second half, made some clutch field goals and finished 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals.